Mascara

Hmmm...what do we have here?I found something messy...MASCARA!

Why does Mommy have to get in the way?

I tried painting with it...

...and then I decided to eat it.

Oh...a day in the life of Miss Clare Ann.

Polka Dot Peanut

Another HOT and HUMID day here in The Sunshine State!Cruising along!

All ready for the park.

Cool shades!

Hold on tight!

Enjoying the breeze.

One Year of Found Treasures!

Last year, we started collecting all of the random change that we found. Instead of just throwing it in the regular change jar, we kept a separate "Found Jar." We kept track of the findings for a full year, and we were shocked by the accumulation of treasures.
Random Finds:
2 Canadian Quarters
1 Canadian Nickel
1 Five Pence
1 Bahamian Penny
5 various arcade tokens (pictured above)
1 Checkers Burger token
1 Million Dollar Bill

Pennies = 341 = ($3.41)
Nickels = 31 = ($1.55)
Dimes = 61 = ($6.10)
Quarters = 19 = ($4.75)
$1 bills = 3
$5 bills = 1 (This was a TERRIFIC find...in a pile of leaves in the neighborhood...probably some kid's lunch money.)

TOTAL LOOT = $23.81

Year number one was a success, and we started back over at zero for year number two. We're fully aware of the dorkiness of this "game," but $23.81 isn't bad for simply keeping our eyes open.

A Celebration of 30 Years!!!

Happy Birthday, Phil!You've come a long ways in 30 years,
and your life is a blessing to so many people!

Clearly, you were a nurturer from early on. :)

We LOVE you SO MUCH!

Wishing you many more decades of happiness!

Totally Random

I have SO MANY pictures from the last month, but I just haven't made the time to post them appropriately. Instead of doing themed posts, I'm going to throw all of these pictures on at once. Then I'll try to get back on top of things.

These are some shots from our week in Delaware.
My dad loves being a Grandpa and Great Uncle. Our happy girl!

Staying warm in Daddy's fleece.

Playing with cousin, Lizzie.

Riding bikes in Delaware.
That's the house that the 17 of us stayed in together.

This was on our anniversary.
We had a great view during a fantastic dinner.

The cousins!

Story time with Phil.

Snuggled up with Auntie Ann.

Okay, that was random.

Two Men and a Baby...While I was OUT...

I spent the last four days in Denver, Colorado for the national Discovery Toys convention. It was the first time that I was away from Clare for more than just a day, but I knew that she was in good hands.

My dad flew down to Florida to stay with Clare while Phil was at work. The "TWO MEN and a BABY" did very well, and here is a brief accounting of their weekend.Clare talked to Mommy on the phone whenever I had a small break during the conference. I missed seeing her face, but I could imagine her big grin as she grabbed for the bright buttons on the phone. She said, "Mama, Mama, Mama" as I sang to her. :)

She read LOTS of books. Grandpa even took her to Barnes and Noble to pick out a new book, and then he read to her several times a day.
She hung out with Daddy and begged for Mommy. That may be editorial licensing.

She slept VERY WELL. I called on Saturday morning, and my dad and Phil were proud to report that she slept until 9:15...for a total of 13 hours. Apparently, I need to learn a trick or two from them. :)
She had a GREAT time with Grandpa...despite the bout of teething on his shoulder.

She got to bend the rules a bit. :)

She went in the pool EVERY day.

Grandpa took her to the park EVERY day! He even reported that the ONLY time she cried was when he took her out of the swing.


For the real "While I Was Out," Phil painted our dining area, kitchen, and the hallway. I had NO IDEA what he was up to, but I was pleasantly surprised with the surprise.
He chose a great butter/banana yellow color, and it goes perfectly with the other bright colors in our house.
Once again, I was overwhelmed by the amazingness (I know that's not a word, but it fits my feeling) of my husband.

Thanks Dad and Phil for being such great daddies, grandpas, and MEN!

Doha, Drooling, and Dumpster Diving

My dear sister, Ann, is home for the summer. She lives, and teaches, in Doha, Qatar. She brought home some fun, new shirts for her BIL (brother-in-law), and they happened to wear the same one on the same day. Awww....how cute!

We thought that Clare's drooling days had subsided, but this picture proves otherwise. Old wives tales say that drooling means teething, so maybe she's working on a new tooth or two.
It may be a stretch to call our kitchen the "dumpster," but Clare certainly dives into anything on which she can get her little hands. Thankfully, we were done with this magazine.
You can assume that Clare will taste-test anything that she puts in her hands. That has made for some interesting finger sweeps. Use your imagination, and then expand it!

11 months old TODAY!

Our sweet Clare Ann is 11-months-old today. WOW!

Disclaimer: This post has far more "Mommy Gushing" than usual. I'm using this as a virtual baby book, so I want to have some of the little things recorded. Feel free to simply scan the pictures and ignore the text if you're not one for all of the sentiment.
A majority of her waking hours are spent with a smile on her face.
Some of the things that really make her giggle:
-Grandma Durham
-Letting her feed you
-Peek-a-boo (classic baby giggle inducer)
-Tickling right under her neck (and triple chins)

She's a true Beach Bunny!
She would stay in the water all day if we let her. She loves the pool, the ocean, and even the bath tub. It's fun to watch her experience the water...and drink it all in (literally and figuratively!).

She hates having things on her head or around her neck. She tears off her hats, pulls off the hoodies, and rips off her bibs.

She is extremely flexible. She bends her legs in ways that seem physically impossible, and she continually puts her feet in her mouth. We wonder if diving/gymnastics might be in her future.

She has lots of hair. This was the first, and only, Bam Bam sprout. We can't bring ourselves to cut her hair, but it's getting too long to leave unattended. The barrette is a newly accepted accessory in our home, but Daddy still strongly vetoes the sprout.

Every day brings a new experience for Clare, and I am blessed to watch her grow up. As of 11 months, she is saying a few words: Ma-ma, Daddy and Da-Da, Uh-Uh (her version of uh-oh), Ba-ba (for baby), and several other strings of sounds (ne-ne...which I think is for Annie) and syllables.

I would have to guess that Clare's favorites activity is reading. She does the baby sign for "book" all throughout the day, and it's impossible to resist such a request. She also signs for "eat" and "please," and we're still working on "more" and "thank you."

Even though she isn't walking independently yet, she takes steps all over the room. I don't think it will be long before she realizes that she can do it on her own.

She's had six teeth (4 on top and 2 on bottom) since she was 8-months old, but I think she's working on a few new ones.

Her favorite foods, as of right now, are: watermelon, cantaloupe, Cheerios, cheese crumbles, apples, and good old Mama's milk. :)

She waves hello and goodbye, and she claps whenever she sees/hears someone else clapping.

Clare averages about 11 hours of sleep at night and 1-2 naps during the day. I'm thankful that she is such a solid sleeper, and I think the quality Zzzz's make her happier during the day. Imagine that!

My ABSOLUTE FAVORITE thing is hearing Clare giggle. When she's really excited, she squeezes her hands into tight fists, shakes her arms, and plasters a huge cheese ball grin on her face. I love it!

I could write MUCH MORE, but this will have to do for now. Clare is the JOY of our lives, and we can't wait for many more happy months with our Little Peanut. :)